Analogue Hit Maker

It's time to show your DAW who's boss

• SSL analogue channel processing for your audio workstation
• Pro mic preamp with line and instrument level switching
• Studio class EQ, Filter and Limiter sections
• Variable Harmonic Drive circuit - a time machine of distortion characteristics
• Analogue or digital outputs direct to your DAW

All great sounding recordings have to start somewhere...

With the classic combination of a mic preamp, filter, EQ and dynamics, the XLogic Alpha Channel brings SSL’s sonic legacy bang up to date in an analogue channel strip designed to provide the perfect front end to your digital audio workstation.

With all the features needed to record great vocal or instrument tracks, the Alpha Channel offers a studio class mic pre and processing based on SSL’s years of experience in designing the world’s leading analogue recording consoles. A huge proportion of the music you know and love was recorded on SSL, renowned for the superior audio qualities you’ve heard on countless hit records. That elusive sonic ingredient is here in the Alpha Channel.

Key Features

• Professional ultra clean mic preamp with line level & Hi Z instrument input switches
• ‘Variable Harmonic Drive’ circuit; a Time Machine of distortion characteristics
• High Pass Filter with selectable 40Hz, 80Hz or 120Hz cutoff frequency
• Built in professional quality Analogue to Digital conversion - as standard
• Auto sample rate sensing and self adjustment
• Three band SSL parametric EQ with mid freq Q control and dual LF curves
• Intelligent auto compression that maximises recording headroom and avoids DAC clipping

Technical Specs

Physical *

• Depth     230mm / 9" casing only
• Height     44.5mm / 1.75" (1 RU)
• Width     438mm / 17.25" casing only
  482mm / 19" inc’ rack ears

• Weight     3.0kg / 7 pounds
• Power     < 20 Watts
• Boxed size     320mm x 550mm x 80mm
  12.75" x 21.75" x 3.25"
• Boxed weight     3.5kg / 8 pounds

* All values are approximate

Environmental

• Temperature     Operating:     +5 to 30 deg. C
  Non-operating:     –20 to 50 deg. C
  Max. gradient:     15 deg. C/hour

• Relative     Operating:     20 to 80 %
• Humidity     Non-operating:     5 to 90 %
  Max. wet bulb:     29 deg. C (non-condensing)
• Vibration     Operating:     < 0.2 G (3 – 100Hz)     
  Non-operating, power off:     < 0.4 G (3 – 100Hz)
• Shock     Operating:     < 2 G (10ms max.)
  Non-operating:     < 10 G (10ms max.)
• Altitude     Operating:     0 to 3000m (above sea level)
  Non-operating:     0 to 12000m 

Connections

• Power     IEC320 3-pin connector, 100 – 240 Vac, 50 – 60 Hz
• Analogue I/O
• Microphone     Balanced, 3-pin XLR-F, Zin = 1kΩ (10kΩ for Hi Z)
• Instrument     Un-balanced, ¼" Mono Jack, Zin = 1MΩ
• Output     Balanced, ¼" Stereo Jack, Zo = 40Ω
• Insert Send     Balanced, ¼" Stereo Jack, Zo = 40Ω
• Insert Return     Balanced, ¼" Stereo Jack, Zin = 10kΩ
• Link (2 of)     RCA phono, limiter sidechain control voltage (dc.)
• Digital I/O
• SPDIF In     RCA phono, 1V pk-pk, Zin = 75Ω, SPDIF format.
•       The ADC will lock to this signal if present.
• SPDIF Out     RCA phono, 1V pk-pk, Zo = 75Ω, SPDIF 24bit format.
•       Synchronised to SPDIF In, else free-runs at 44.1kHz.

Measured Performance

• Mic Gain To Output:     20dB min, 76 dB max
• Instrument Gain To Output:     26dB min, 82 dB max
• Pad Attenuation:     20 dB
• Input Impedance (Ω):
  Mic:     1K / 10K
• Instrument:     1 MEG
• Noise Figure
  Equivalent Ein:     
• Mic, Zin = 10R     -130.5 dBU
• Mic, Zin =150R     -127.5 dBU
• Dynamic Range:
  Mic Gain Min:     105 dB unweighted
  Mic Gain Max:     76 dB unweighted
• Common Mode Rejection:     70 dB from 50Hz to 10KHz
  with 1Vp-p Common Mode
• Max Common Mode In:     5V p-p
• Frequency Response
• Mic To Out:     +/- 0.2 dB from 10Hz to 70KHz
  -3dB (LF) :     6 Hz
  -3dB (HF) :     250 KHz
• Mic Amp Distortion - A Typical Specification
• Output Level     THD Knob CCW     THD Knob CW
• +5 dBU     0.03 %     0.1 %
• +10 dBU     0.05 %     0.3 %
• +15 dBU     0.06 %     0.5 %
• +20 dBU     0.09 %     2 %
• +24 dBU     0.15 %     5 %
• Maximum Analog Output:     +24.3 dBU (10K)

EQ
LF Section:

•       LF Shelf Gain Range:     +/- 19 dB
•       LF Bell Gain Range:     +/- 15 dB
•       Shelf Freq Range:     40 - 600 Hz
•       Bell Freq Range:     35 - 500 Hz
•       Bell Q:     1.4

Mid Section:

•       Gain Range:     +/- 17 dB
•       Freq Range:     300 - 5200 Hz
•       Q Range:     0.7 - 1.9

HF Section:

•       Shelf Gain Range:     +/- 19 dB
•       Shelf Freq Range:     1.5KHz - 22 KHz

EQ Dynamic Range:     100 dBU

Limiter

• Limiter Threshold:     - 3 dBFS
• Limiter Ratio:     6, over-easy
• Limiter Headroom:     12 dB min, 14 dB typ
• Attack Time:     50 uSec
• Release Time:     200 mSec
• Limiting Distortion:     0.5 % max
• Non-Limiting Distortion:     0.001 %

 
Insert Point
Operating Level

•       Limiter Switch Out:     24 dBU, unity gain to output
•       Limiter Switch In:     12 dBU, +12 dB gain to output

Output Impedance (SEND):     150 Ω
Input Impedance (RETURN):     10 KΩ

ADC
ADC Type:     24 bit, 192 KHz CS5361 ADC
Sampling Rate:     locks to user supplied SPDIF IN
      Range: 32 KHz to 108 KHz
      No SPDIF In:     Defaults to 44.100 KHz
SPDIF In:     200 mV p-p IN min
      5V p-p IN max
SPDIF Out     (Level):     1V p-p
      (Impedance):     60 Ω
      
ADC Performance Measured From Insert Return:
Dynamic Range, 20KHz measurement bandwidth
      Fs= 32K:     110.5 dB, A-wgt
      Fs= 48K:     110 dB, A-wgt
      Fs= 96K:     109 dB, A-wgt
ADC Distortion, 1KHz test tone
      Level     Distortion in 20K meas bw
      -0.5 dBFS     0.0006 %
      -10 dBFS     0.0015 %
      -20 dBFS     0.004 %
      -30 dBFS     0.013 %
      -40 dBFS     0.04 %
ADC Freq Response
      Fs = 48 K:     +/- 0.1 dB, 20Hz - 20KHz
      Fs = 96 K:     +/- 0.1 dB, 20Hz - 40KHz
 
Miscellaneous
Phantom Power:     47.5V typical
Output Gain Range:     +/- 19.5 dB